Ethereum News Today: Investors Get 24/7 U.S. Stock Access via Blockchain Tokens

Ondo Finance has launched its tokenized equity platform, Ondo Global Markets, offering non-U.S. investors access to over 100 U.S. stocks and ETFs on the Ethereum blockchain. The platform, which went live on September 3, 2025, builds on an initiative first announced in February and features tokenized versions of major equities such as Apple (AAPL), Nvidia (NVDA), and the QQQ ETF. The assets are backed by U.S.-registered broker-dealers and are designed to provide investors in the Asia-Pacific, Europe, Africa, and Latin America with 24/7 access to U.S. market liquidity outside traditional trading hours. Ondo plans to expand its offering to over 1,000 assets by year-end and will soon extend the service to Solana and BNB Chain using LayerZero interoperability [1].

The offering supports seamless transfers between wallets, exchanges, and DeFi protocols. Ondo has partnered with key infrastructure providers such as BitGo, Ledger, and Chainlink to ensure security and accessibility. The firm’s CEO, Nathan Allman, emphasized that the platform aims to replicate the success of stablecoins by bringing U.S. securities on-chain, thereby increasing liquidity and global accessibility. This development aligns with a broader industry trend of tokenizing real-world assets, including equities, treasuries, and private credit, to enhance capital efficiency and market participation [1].

The tokenized equity space has seen rapid growth and increasing competition. A parallel launch from Backed Finance’s xStocks platform introduced 60 tokenized U.S. equities—including NVIDIA, Amazon, Tesla, and Meta—on Ethereum, expanding from earlier launches on Solana, BNB Chain, and Tron. xStocks is already reporting over $3.5 billion in trading volume since June 2025. The platform is integrated with Ethereum’s DeFi ecosystem and provides investors with direct access to real-world assets in a digital format. Kraken, a key partner, confirmed that users will soon be able to deposit and withdraw tokenized stocks directly on Ethereum, further enhancing the cross-chain utility of such assets [2].

Despite the innovation, tokenized equities face regulatory uncertainty and skepticism. Legal experts caution that tokenized stocks may not offer the same investor protections as traditional shares, including limited voting rights and no direct claims to company assets. Regulators, including the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), have called for closer oversight. The SEC’s stance reflects broader concerns from global stock exchanges and financial watchdogs about the fragmentation of regulatory frameworks and the potential for market abuse. Critics argue that tokenized equities exist in a legal gray area and could complicate compliance efforts, especially in jurisdictions where blockchain-based financial instruments remain untested [2].

Analysts highlight that the tokenized equity market is still in its early stages, with a total market capitalization of $342 million as of September 2025, representing just 1.2% of the overall $27.9 billion tokenized RWA market. While this figure is small, the rapid pace of adoption and the involvement of major crypto platforms such as Robinhood, Gemini, and eToro suggest significant growth potential. Robinhood recently launched a blockchain network in Europe to facilitate tokenized stock trading, while Coinbase and eToro have also signaled intent to enter the space. The expansion of tokenized equities across multiple blockchains—including Ethereum, Solana, and BNB Chain—demonstrates the sector’s focus on interoperability and global accessibility [3].

Source: [1] Ondo Finance Rolls Out Tokenized U.S. Stocks, ETFs as Equity Tokenization Ramps Up (https://www.coindesk.com/business/2025/09/03/ondo-finance-rolls-out-tokenized-u-s-stocks-etfs-as-equity-tokenization-ramps-up) [2] Tokenized Equity Product xStocks Launches on Ethereum (https://cointelegraph.com/news/xstocks-launches-ethereum-60-tokenized-stocks-nvidia-tesla) [3] DeFi Protocol Ondo Finance Puts 100 Tokenized Stocks on (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/defi-protocol-ondo-finance-puts-191807701.html)